Abstract

The word “pharmakon” translated as ‘drug’ and meaning both ‘remedy’ and ‘poison’. Pharmacopoeia is an official book published by the government containing list of medicines with information about sources, description, identification, preparation and standardisation. Pharma-co-logy is a branch of medicine that encompasses drug interaction, toxicology, pharma-co-dynamics and pharma-co-kinetics. Pharmacodynamics is the study of drug action (biochemical) on living organism. Homeopathic medicines are prepared through a specific nanopharmacological process of potentisation. Pharmacy is the art and science of preparation and standardisation of drugs for use and dispensing them as medicines. Pharma-co-gnosy is the study of physical,chemical,biological and biochemical properties of drugs of natural origin. A pharmacist/chemist dispenses medicines in a pharmacy shop.

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Pharmakon

The word “pharmakon” meant both the disease and its cure to the ancient Greeks. The word is paradoxical, translated as ‘drug’ and meaning both ‘remedy’ and ‘poison’. This is still the same today – we refer to both effective medicines and to toxic substances as ‘drugs’ [1].

The words ‘pharmacopoeia’, ‘pharmacology’, ‘pharmacy’ and ‘pharmaceutical’ and are all derived from ‘pharmakon’.

Pharmacopoeia

The name Pharmacopoeia originates from the two greek words: Pharmakon, means a drug; and poieo, means to make. Pharmacopoeia is an official book published by government containing list of drugs and medicines, with information about the sources, habitats, description, identification, collection, preparation, combining, compounding and standardisation.

Pharmacology

It is a branch of medicine that encompasses drug interaction, toxicology, pharma-co-dynamics and pharma-co-kinetics. Pharmacodynamics is the study of drug action (biochemical) on living organism. In homeopathy, pathogenetic trials (provings) are conducted on healthy human beings, not on animals. Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the drug is absorbed in the body, the rate at which a drug action begins and the duration of the effect, and routes of excretion.

Arndt-Schultz law

This pharmacological law is about non-linearity between dose and response. It states that, “weak stimuli slightly accelerate the vital activity, medium-strong stimuli raise it, strong ones suppress it and very strong ones halt it”.

In other words, substances vary in action depending on whether the concentration is high, medium, or low. The opposite action of large and small doses of medicine is known as ‘bi-phase response’, also known as ‘reverse action of drugs’ i.e. every medicine has two action phases that depend upon dosage.

Fig. 1: dose-response curve according to arndt-schultz law for laser therapy

On x-axis, we have response (effect/efficacy) of drug on body,,,,,,Response is stimulatory (therapeutic) above x-axis and inhibitory (toxicity) below x-axis,,,,,,On y-axis, we have dose (amount/concentration) of drug,,,,,,, A to B: no reaction because drug concentration is too small,,,,,, B to C: biostimulation (sharp rise in bioeffect),,,,,, C to D: sharp fall in bioeffect,,,,,, Below D: toxicity

Homeopathy is “nanopharmacology” [3]. Medicines are prepared through a specific pharmacological process of potentisation which results in nanograms of fine nanoparticles of the original starting material in the final product (upto 200c potency) administered in treatment of any disease. Hahnemann in his paper “Cure and prevention of scarlet fever”, published in Journal of Practical Medicine in 1801, mentioned the prophylactic properties of Belladonna in scarlet fever and the method to prepare potentised Belladonna to 1/24,000,000 dilution. He recommended one drop which is equivalent to 0.0416 nanograms of belladonna (1 grain = 0.06479891 grams) and to repeat the dose every 72 hours. This is the first recorded nanodose of medicine used in treatment of any disease. Hahnemann can be attributed asThe Father of NanoMedicine[4].

Mineral Kingdom: Most of the elements and compounds like metals, salts, alkali, and acids are from mineral kingdom such as Sulfur, Calcarea Carb (Calcium Carbonate), Nitric-Acid, Natrum-Muriaticum (Common Salt).

Medicines prepared from disease products of patient’s own body are known as auto-nosodes.

Healthy Specimen: Medicine prepared from healthy spicemen such as extracts of fresh tissue, organ or glands are called Sarcodes ex.Thyroidinum, Cortisone, Cholesterninum, Lecithin.

Energy Sources: Medicine prepared from energy sources are called Imponderabilia such as X-Rays, Sol (sun rays). Imponderables are potentised water (1l) or sugar or milk (1kg) which have been exposed to X-rays (1000 rad), and then diluted to 1/100 and the product is equivalent to 2X, etc. The electrical energy of the X-rays brings a change in orientation of dipoles of water molecules present in the water/sugar of milk.

Allersodes: Potentised antigens such as potentised histamine.

Remedies of plant and animal sources are named according to the binomial nomenclature introduced by Linnaeus (1753).

Hahnemann, in Chronic Diseases, 2nd edition (1835-1839) and Organon Aph 269 – 275 (6th edition) recommends that all medicines should be prepared by trituration upto 3rd attenuation (3C/3X) and then by potentisation for higher potencies.

Trituration is repeated grinding (pulverization) of medical substance with sugar of milk (lactose) powder (9 or 99 parts by weight in X and C scale respectively) in a grinding machine for minimum of 1 hour. This results in breaking down of cellular walls of medicinal substance into nanoparticles.

2. Potentisation: It is carried out in type-2 borosilicate (96.4%) glass vial. It involves two steps:

a. Systematic dilution of MT or third attenuation in water-ethanol solution: successive reduction in the concentration of the basic medicinal substance to make the drug chemically non-toxic.

b. Succussion of the solution

Effects of Potentisation [5,7]

1. It activates (brings out) the qualitative change (formative intelligence) in dynamic properties of the physical/remedy substance (solute) which is potentised by eliminating the chemical toxicity (by dilution) and enhancing its efficacy by activates its latent healing properties (by succussion) which were otherwise inert. The properties are transferred/imprinted on the carrier/solvent/diluent/vehicle (water-ethanol mixture, expiry: 5 years).

Other liquid vehicles: water (expiry: 1 day), ethanol, glycerin

Other vehicles: Lactose

Possible vehicles: honey, ascorbic acid

2. It increases the range (intensification) and depth (more readily absorbed into the body (tissues) of curative action of a drug.

3. Millesimal (LM or Q): LM potency is derived from 3C trituration of the original drug substance. LM dose is given in water, succussed and diluted before administering each dose so as to alter the potency each time.

Each dilution step in three scales divides the original quantity by 10, 100 and and 50,0000 respectively. A potency 6x means it is diluted 1:9 6 times with succussion at each dilution level. A potency 7x is 10 times more diluted and many times more succussed than 6x.

Relationship between various scales dilution wise

2X = C (C is succussed more than X at same potency)

LM1 = 5.35 C (LM1 succussed considerably more than 6C)

Each step of LM dilution is a rise of 2.5C

Preparing potency: Korsakoff method [6]

Each potency is prepared in the same sterilised vial (20 ml), and the earlier step is simply poured out, so the remedy carried on is that which sticks to the inner surface of the vial. Benoit Mur built the first potentisation machine based on karsakoff method. Automatic potentizer ensures that each succussion is performed with the same number of strokes and with the same force on each stroke. Quinn potentiser is a variation of Karsakoff machine. The most popular Karsakoff machine used now-a-days is Labotic’s K-TRONIC. Mathematically, the final solution of a Korsakovian potentization using single-vial-method is identical to that of the Hahnemann’s multi-vial-method, provided that one hundredth (for C scale) of the remedy solution keeps adhering to the glass wall.

A. Spectroscopy: It is the study of interaction between matter and radiated energy i.e. how a substance absorbs, emits or scatters electromagnetic radiation.

1. Raman Laser Spectroscopy (1976)

In 1976, Boiron and Vinh used Raman Laser Spectroscopy, showing that for the 1C potency of Kali bichromicum the spectrum of alcohol disappears completely, while that for potassium bichromate appears. In Kali bich 1C the ratio of the number of potassium bichromate molecules is 1 to 500. In such a case the light meets 500 more alcohol molecules as those of bichromate, yet the alcohol spectrum does not appear.

There are 199 Good Manufacturing Practices-compliant homeopathic pharmaceutical companies in India with West Bengal state having the highest numbers (2010)

Healthcare services in Homoeopathy are provided by 215 hospitals and 6812 dispensaries run by state governments and municipal bodies, 35 dispensaries of Central Government Health Scheme, 39 of the labour ministry and 129 of the railway ministry.

According to AYUSH 2010 report, Rs. 5.58 crores of homoeopathic medicines and Rs. 2.83 crores of biochemic medicines have been exported in 2009-10.

FACT: No individualised homeopathic medicine has ever been subject to a product recall in the entire history of medicine

Dear Dr Nancy – Your collections of information boggles the mind. These articles must take days and days of research and organization. We thank you for keeping this mini library of resources. Blessings and Health to you. Love, Debby

I am always shocked when I read skeptics talking about homeopaths, as though they were ripping off the world. You have proved your case Dr. Nancy. Homeopathy is better than affordable because it works and it assists the vital force in ways that allopathy can never do. Talk about a bargain for your money and health! I second the “high potency kudos!